Chain-link.



No. 758,802. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904. W. E. WILLIAMS.

CHAIN LINK.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.'12. 1903.

H0 MODEL.

WlTNliSfill-/ fla /f INVENTOR W B y %M Patented May 3, 1904.

FFICE.

WILLIAM ERASTUS "ILLIAHS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CHAIN-LINK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,802, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed March 12, 1908. Serial No. 147,453. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLL-m Emsrns WIL- LIAus, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain-Links; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a strong inexpensive chain of desirable form, which can be made rapidly from commercial rods or wires of various sizes and with such uniformity that there may be practically no weakest link. 'ith this object in view each link is formed by bending a rod into approximately S-like form in such manner that the ends may overlap each other near the middle of the link and so that one or both may also overlap the middle portion of the rod and by welding or brazing all overlapped parts so that the link may have continuous metal at all points. If desired, any length of such chain may be welded after all the links have been shaped and interlocked, the overlapped parts of the successive links being subjected in rapid succession to the uniting process.

As the overlapped parts are very near together in each link, all may be united at a single operation, requiring no more time than uniting a single overlapped end to the part upon which it rests.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of link with parts of the adjacent links of a chain. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and ii: are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, showing a slightlymoditied link. Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. and 3, showing further modifications.

The link of Figs. 1 and 2 is formed by bending the end portions of a round wire oppositely in approximately the same plane to form two loopsA and B, with the wire ends A B overlapping each other and lying side by side upon the middle portion of the wire without extending around or materially beyond it and by then welding said ends to the middle portion and to each other by pressing them while heated between compressing-dies X Y, which may themselves carry the heating-current furnished by any suitable electric generator.

Figs. 3, 4 show the wire ends upon opposite sides of the middle portion of the wire and both in a plane perpendicular to the general plane of the link. Fig. 5 shows a similar arrangement, but with the wire ends upon 0pposite sides of such perpendicular plane.

In the form illustrated in Fig. (3 the end portions of the wire are bent in the same direction instead of oppositely, forming two loops, the lirst having its end B overlapping the middle portion of the wire and the second having its end A overlapping the first near the junction of the latter with the middle portion of the wire, and, as in the other cases, all overlapping parts are integrally united.

In all the forms we have lap-welding only. In all the laps are close together, so that they may be welded or brazed at a single operation. In all the rods are of uniform crosssection, and the contact-surfaces at the welding-points are identical, and hence the conditions are precisely the same and the welding is uniformly perfect. It is also important that since the parts are subjected to more transverse compression in welding there is no upsetting of inaccurately-cut abutting ends and no shortening or distortion of the link, and hence the links of every chain are precisely uniform in shape and length. It is further to be noted that there is here no need of gripping the parts to be united.

For convenience the union of the overlapped portions of the wire or rod is hereinbefore referred to as welding; but obviously the invention does not depend upon the particular metal or metals of which the rod may be composed, upon whether the rod be coated with a metal or alloy differing from the interior portion, nor upon the presence or absence of a ditferent metal between the overlapped portions, and in using the term welded and the like it is not intended to exclude any uniting that may be made in substantially the manner set forth, whether or not such uniting might properly be called brazing or soldering.

The phrase integrally united is therefore I a single wire having its halves bent oppositely with each terminal portion approximately parallel to the plane of the link and overlapped upon and integrally united with the rods mid- 5 dle portion.

3. A link of 8-like form consisting of a single Wire having its-halves bent oppositely and its end portions lying side by side upon the middle portion and integrally united there- 20 with and with each other.

In testimony whereofI afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ERAS'IUS WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

WALLACE GREENE, EDWIN S. CLARKsoN. 

